BBC 1963: March.

Let's Imagine: A Branch Line Railway with John Betjeman
"First transmitted in 1963, John Betjeman looks at the Evercreech Junction to Burnham-on-Sea railway line in Somerset." (pictured)

Tonight: Railways
"'The Beeching Report' has been published announcing that 4,000 miles of railway line and 2,000 stations will be closed. Against footage of steam trains rushing past, some of the most romantic, beautiful, brutal, strange and comic station names are read out as testimony to 'the threads that bound the nation together'."

Back To Beeching (2 episodes)
"With the publication, in 1963, of The Re-Shaping of British Railways Britain's transport system would never be the same."

BBC News: Beeching Axe hit railway lines and rural stations
"The closure of many rural railway branch lines and stations was accelerated after a report from British Transport Commission's Dr Richard Beeching that was published 50 years ago this week. It led to the so-called Beeching Axe, culling swathes of loss-making part of the rail network, although some of the figures over ticket sales and passenger numbers were disputed. Adam Fleming spoke to former railwayman and volunteer train driver Chris Cubitt and to Philip Benham, general manager of North Yorkshire Moors Railway, on a line that found fame in Harry Potter films."

Archive on 4: This Train Rides Again
"In 1963, the legendary American broadcaster, Studs Terkel, presented a radio programme, 'This Train,' in which he followed African Americans travelling on a train from Chicago to Washington. They were part of the March on Washington, which culminated in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. The thousands who took part wanted to achieve jobs and freedom for black Americans. One woman on the train spoke of her hopes for a better future for her relatives, "after I am gone."

Francis Bacon Interview
"Francis Bacon discusses his work and methods with David Sylvester. In this lauded interview, Bacon reveals his artistic influences, details his tightrope walk between abstract and figurative painting, and memorably describes his work as 'one continuous accident'. Bacon also talks about the practical side of his art, his application of paint and the glazing of his pictures, as well as the motivations behind his career."

Witness: The Profumo Affair
"In March 1963, the British Minister of War John Profumo stood up in Parliament to deny that he'd had an affair with a young woman who was also involved with a Russian spy. It was the first public acknowledgement of a sex scandal which engulfed the British government."

Last Word: John Profumo
"Matthew Bannister tells the life stories of people who have recently died."

Panorama: Divorce
"This report looks into the current proposal for changes to the law that would prevent the need for a 'matrimonial offence' to have been committed and grant a divorce if a couple have been separated for seven years. A private detective who earns his living from 'surprising' adulterous partners so that a matrimonial offence can be proved explains the workings of the current system. Reporter John Morgan then meets people who are trapped by the current laws and Church leaders on both sides of the argument for divorce reform."

Adam Curtis: BBC clips of Syrian revolution 1963 and the cult of the Assads that came after
Originally featured in this blog post.

The BBC Story: Blue Peter and The Eurovision Song Contest 1963
Interviews with Biddy Baxter and Yvonne Littlewood.